


Tell Me A Story

by desole (tearyxz)



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-05-18 14:43:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5932087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearyxz/pseuds/desole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jinyoung drummed his fingers on the oaken surface of the table impatiently, earning a pointed glare from his father. It took all the self-control he possessed at the moment to pull back his sigh, though it was too late to prevent the eye-rolling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Originally written for the Def_pepi fic exchange [here](http://def-pepi.livejournal.com/19432.html).  
  


Jinyoung drummed his fingers on the oaken surface of the table impatiently, earning a pointed glare from his father. It took all the self-control he possessed at the moment to pull back his sigh, though it was too late to prevent the eye-rolling. This only earned him another stern glance.

Jinyoung reluctantly pulled his hand back and shifted in his seat, heavy robes rustling as he moved. His lips were pursed slightly in indignation; the chancellor was still up front, eyes fixed on that long, long scroll he was reading from. It’s not like anyone would’ve noticed. Besides, he’d been sitting here for _hours,_ breakfast had been ages ago and he was hungry _._ There were snacks on the table, but as per common court etiquette, no one touched them. Which was stupid, in Jinyoung’s opinion, because if no one was allowed to eat while another person was talking, why have them out in the first place? It was only taunting him, making him even hungrier than he already was.

But of course, for _appearances_.

And now Jinyoung had an unbearable itch on his right shoulder blade, but he couldn’t scratch that either because the old dude up front couldn’t pick up the pace. Even if he added just a bit more inflection to his voice, perhaps Jinyoung could focus on something other than the maddening urge to throw off his clothes and scratch, but of course the chancellor had to continue in his flat, monotone voice for seemingly all of eternity.

When the meeting was finally called to an end Jinyoung was practically vibrating with pent up energy, the last few minutes seeming to slow down even further before finally, _finally_ the meeting was adjourned and everyone excused.

Jinyoung breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he exited the hall, ready to dart off to his room to change into something much less restricting than his official attire. He was already halfway down the corridor, walking as fast as he dared while still appearing to be “regal,” when a gravelling voice sounded from behind him.

“Jinyoung. A moment, if you would.”

Jinyoung froze.

_Dammit._

He spun around slowly, being careful to school his expression into one of respect and deference.

“Yes, your majesty?”

Jinyoung had braced himself, but still almost winced at the severe expression on his father’s face.

“Very eager to leave, I see? Would it be alright if I took a few more minutes of your time?” The King raised an eyebrow, and although his words formed a question his tone left no room for negotiation.

“Of course, you majesty,” Jinyoung tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice, but couldn’t help but drag his feet a little as he followed his father back into the conference hall.

“Do you have any idea what I’d like to talk to you about, Jinyoung?”

Well, at least his father got straight to the point.

“My attitude,” Jinyoung replied resignedly.

“Ah, so it’s not a surprise.”

“But father,” Jinyoung couldn’t keep the whine out of his voice. “The meetings are much too long and much too boring. I’d pay attention if it was important information, you know I would, but he–”

“You don’t think the threat of a potential famine hitting our countryside is important?” his father’s voice was severe.

“Of course that’s important! But he kept going on and on and on and on…all he was doing was repeating the same information over and over! If we’re trying to solve problems, wouldn’t it be more efficient to get down to the point and figure out a solution?”

“Oh Jinyoung…” the King sighed, a hand coming up to rub at his brows. “We’ve been over this before. This is procedural, and it’s what puts everyone else at ease. I know you’re capable of negotiating and talking through the problems, but you can’t just do what you’re interested in and skip the rest. Your sisters have been too indulgent with you, taking care of everything you deem to be ‘boring’ for you. But you’re the one who’s going to be king some day, not them. That’s why I want you at all of these meetings from now on, understand? You need to start learning how to take care of the administrative duties as well.”

The King left no room for argument.

“Yes, father.”

The King smiled wryly at the sulkiness in his son’s tone. “In exchange, I will stop your lessons at the moment.”

Jinyoung’s eyes widened, mouth opening to protest but immediately thought better of it when his father raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“You seem unwilling? I thought you were always complaining about your lessons and homework?”

“No, no, that’s fine, thank you father,” Jinyoung said quickly, expression sheepish.

It was true; Jinyoung hated his lessons and complained them constantly. They were boring and tedious, and honestly half of the things he learned weren’t applicable to real life anyways. What he was going to miss, however, was his tutor Mark. He was a pretty soft-spoken guy and ridiculously kindhearted, but most importantly, he was Jinyoung’s primary source of entertainment these days. It was the middle of winter and much too cold outside, not that Jinyoung would ever be allowed off palace grounds on his own anyways. Mark was patient and always put up with Jinyoung’s antics, indulging him with whatever whim he could without getting the both of them in trouble.

So no, Jinyoung would really rather not cease his lessons, but he couldn’t exactly tell his father that, especially since all he did was complain about them on a regular basis.

He was finally excused, and this time, he no longer had the same energy in his steps as he walked down the halls, feet dragging against the cold marble instead.

~~

“Your Majesty, please, I need to get to work,” Bambam was nearly pleading at this point and Jinyoung huffed, crossing his arms.

“But then what am I supposed to do? I’m bored, Bam~” Jinyoung whined. He knew he was being childish, but he couldn’t help it! He was getting more and more antsy these days, tired of being cooped up inside the palace. He had meetings to attend to every day, of course, but those only took a few hours, depending on the day. And with no more Mark to bother, Jinyoung’s attention had turned towards the other palace servants.

Usually, Bambam was very welcoming of Jinyoung’s attention. He often was excused from his more unpleasant chores to keep the prince company, though these past few days have gotten to the point of being unbearable. Jinyoung was occupying so much of his time that he didn’t even have the time to complete even the most basic of his duties. And that was saying a lot, because Bambam absolutely adored the prince and would gladly sacrifice hours of his sleep for him.

Though truthfully, it would be quite accurate to say everyone loved Jinyoung. He had that ability to charm anyone with just a smile, and his kindness was renowned. While the King and Queen were respected for their fairness, they were still feared for their unyielding power in ruling.

Jinyoung, on the other hand, was just adored. He was a ray of sunshine in the often gloomy and tense palace, always treating every servant kindly and with genuine concern. But Jinyoung was also no naive fool; the prince was sharp. Although he held a particular distaste for his lessons he was still incredibly smart, and had a way with diplomacy that was well beyond his years.

Case in point; a year ago, there had been a minor border dispute between two states under their rule. It hadn’t been a big deal, before an accidental killing escalated the issue into a full blown conflict on the verge of war. A group of high ranking diplomats had been deployed in an attempt to resolve the issue, and Jinyoung had tagged along as per the King’s orders to learn from first-hand experience.

What hadn’t been expected, was for Jinyoung to personally interject in the debate when things started to become particularly heated. His guards had been downright terrified, because the hostility in the room had started to border on violent and if a single hair on the prince’s royal head was harmed, the King would’ve skinned them alive. But with a few reasonable words and placating smile, somehow the anger was dissipated within minutes. Before they even knew what was happening Jinyoung had readily taken over leading negotiations, and within a few days, the matter had been peaceably resolved with no wounded prides on either side. This only strengthened the image of their beloved prince as not only someone kind, but awe-inspiringly capable.

But right now, after losing his umpteenth game of chess, Bambam was at his wits’ end.

“Oh please, Your Majesty, just let him go,” Yugyeom sighed as he entered the room, placing the plate of pastries Jinyoung had asked for minutes earlier on the table. “You’re just going to win the next game anyways, what’s the point?”

“Yah, watch your attitude, you lowly servant,” Jinyoung retorted, but they all knew he didn’t mean it. Besides, Yugyeom deserved it; he was the mouthiest servant Jinyoung ever had the fortune (or misfortune, really) to meet. “The point is I’m bored~~~” Jinyoung flopped onto his bed, legs kicking in the air in a very un-princely manner.

“Go bug someone else,” Yugyeom suggested with a somewhat subtle eye roll. “Unless Your Majesty enjoys Bambam being yelled at again for not finishing the windows…”

“Wait, you were scolded yesterday?” Jinyoung suddenly frowned, guilt turning his lips downwards as he sat back up to stare at Bambam questioningly.

“No, no, it’s okay,” Bambam was quick to deny, waving his hands in front of his face in the negative, but he’d always been a terrible liar.

“Sorry Bam,” Jinyoung apologized, looking sheepish. “You can go now if you really need to.”

Bambam looked relieved, if not a bit guilty.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I’ll be back later, I promise!”

With a hasty bow he ducked out of the room, followed soon after by Yugyeom.

Before shutting the door, however, Yugyeom paused, looking back over his shoulder with a contemplative look on his face.

“Is there something else?” Jinyoung asked, catching his hesitance.

“If Your Majesty is tired of being cooped up, perhaps you could head to the stables, you might find some entertainment there,” Yugyeom said, a smirk threatening to form and his lips twitched as he fought to keep the smug look off his face. “Now if you’ll excuse me, Your Majesty…”

“Wait, what’s in the stables?” Jinyoung called out, but the door had already clicked shut.

“That brat,” Jinyoung muttered, but nonetheless began pulling on his coat.

To the stables it was, then. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do anyways.

~~

In Jaebum’s defense, there really was no way he could’ve known that the wiry boy dressed in tunics much too fine for a place as dirty as the stables was the crown prince. Everyone in the palace dressed in ridiculously fine clothing, even the servants, and he’d figured the boy was just the brat son of some duke or nobleman looking for trouble.

Besides, he’d only been here for two months, and what opportunity did a lowly stable boy have to see the prince? If he ever went out riding, the Horse Master would be the one to prepare his horse, not Jaebum. Plus, Jaebum had always been under the impression that all members of the royal family were constantly under the careful watch of their guards. And this boy clearly was alone.

Therefore, Jaebum felt perfectly justified with the hot glare he’d leveled at said boy when he’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere with a cheerful “Hey!”

Jaebum jumped, almost dropping horse dung on his shoes.

“What!” Jaebum snapped, re-adjusting his grip on the shovel. These shoes were only three months old and he’d be damned if he got poop all over them now when he’d been so careful so far. Balance regained, Jaebum’s eyes narrowed as he took in the boy’s appearance. Wide eyes, a carefully trimmed fringe, and a square jaw softened by baby-ish cheeks composed a face all the ladies at court probably cooed over. Handsome, even, if not for the ridiculous expression it was currently contorted into.

It was almost comical the way the boy gaped at him, mouth so wide it could catch flies and then some. It was abundantly clear he was very unused to being spoken to in such a brusque way. Jaebum braced himself for the tantrum that was surely about to follow, because as civilized as he looked, his immaculate appearance also screamed spoiled-rich-brat. And Jaebum knew from experience that when entitled brats didn’t get their way, they threw tantrums until people got so fed up they did.

What Jaebum wasn’t expecting, however, was the completely unrelated question the boy shot back.

“Are you friends with Yugyeom?” was the sudden inquiry that followed, and now it was Jaebum’s turn to gape. The surprised look on the boy’s face had been replaced with one of fascination as stepped closer, and Jaebum had the very alarming urge to take a step backwards. “You talk the exact same way as him.”

“I do know Yugyeom,” Jaebum responded stiffly, his brow creased in confusion as he tried to make sense of the sudden connection, “but I’m not sure if I’d call him a friend. Why?”

“Hmm, being acquaintances must work too, then, because you two share the exact same disregard for deference to authority!” the boy laughed, his genuinely amused demeanor quite the contrast to his words as he advanced forward a few steps more.

“Don’t compare me to that brat,” Jaebum held his ground, hands gripping the shovel tightly to restrain himself from dumping it on the boy. God this was starting to get annoying. “And what authority is there to respect? Yours? Please,” Jaebum scoffed, and once again that astonished look lit up on the other boy’s face.

“Wait. Do you not know who I am?” the boy asked incredulously, actually moving up into Jaebum’s person space as if to examine his expression, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Jaebum did take a step back this time, rolling his eyes. Entitled brats; always under the impression that they were so important that the whole world revolved around their identities and crises.

“How am I supposed to know?” Jaebum said carelessly. “Now if you wouldn’t mind, I have work to do.”

Now this time, Jaebum was sure the kid would lose it. And Jaebum would be glad, if that meant he’d stomp off and he could finally work in peace. If he got in trouble later he’d deal with it then; it wouldn’t be the first time he’d gotten scolded for “having an attitude.” At this point, it’d be worth it.

Instead, the boy laughed again, mirth evident as a spark of mischief danced in his eyes.

“Oh no, of course you wouldn’t know. My apologies for being pretentious.” There was no mocking tone to the boy’s words, but Jaebum couldn’t help but feel as if he was the butt of some unsaid joke. “And yes, sorry, please carry on with your work, I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

Jaebum didn’t move, only squinting suspiciously at the boy that now plopped down on a stack of hay. He swung his feet as he leaned back to prop his weight on his arms behind him, grinning all the while.

“What are you doing? I need to work, you know.” Jaebum was really starting to get irritated.

“Oh, I won’t get in your way, promise! I’ll just watch!” The boy continued to smile, eyes crinkling so that they disappeared.

Jaebum shifted, still uneasy.

“I don’t have time to talk to you or answer any of your questions,” he warned him bluntly.

“No worries~” The boy waved him off, the spark of mischief in his eyes burning even brighter than before. “I don’t mind doing all the talking!”

~~

By the time Jaebum had trudged back to his hut, he was so tired he only had the energy to take off his shoes before flopping down onto his bed, letting out a muffled groan into his sheets.

It was cold, though, and that was the only reason Jaebum found himself getting back up to start his fire, fingers numb as he fumbled with the tinder.

Most of the servants and various other people employed by the royal family lived together in the provided dorms, but in Jaebum’s case, the second he’d laid eyes on the dilapidated little hut on the semi-abandoned side of the orchards, his heart had been set on living there. Jaebum wasn’t exactly anti-social, per se, but he preferred to have his own space. Being able to distance himself from the drama of the palace was definitely an added bonus.

Another plus of the little hut was it really hadn’t been in that bad of shape, and its small size made it easy to maintain. Especially in the winter, the well-insulated walls trapped heat quickly and allowed the small space to warm up into a cozy home within minutes.

With the fire finally going Jaebum felt the feeling return to his fingers. Soon he was able to strip off his gloves and large outer coat, reaching for a blanket instead to wrap around his shoulders. Snagging his worn, leather-bound notebook from the mantle and the harmonica beside it, he settled down on the floor next to the hearth, his back against the wall.

It was sort of a ritual by now, a daily routine that hadn’t been broken since– well, since a long time. Most nights he’d alternate between crooning out trembling, minor-scaled melodies from the harmonica, and whenever the inspiration struck, scrawl out random lines of poetry in his notebook. You’d think he’d run out of things to write about at some point, but even if that was the case, it wouldn’t be anytime soon.

Yet this night, Jaebum just couldn’t focus. His thoughts were stuck on the strange events of that afternoon; he just couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

True to his word, the boy hadn’t required any help from Jaebum in keeping up his onesided conversation. It was hands down the strangest thing Jaebum had ever experienced; he went from admiring the horses to the stables to wondering about when it would snow and if the horses ever acted up to Yugyeom being the worst servant ever to whether or not this coming spring would yield lilacs as pretty as last year. Like, what even?

But never once did the boy bring up his name, his lineage, his status. It would’ve been refreshing, if not for the fact that Jaebum was working and he preferred to work in silence, thank you very much. It was a somewhat fascinating phenomenon for perhaps the first ten minutes, but when the boy showed no signs of leaving an hour later, it was as if Jaebum’s energy was being sapped from his body with every additional word uttered from the boy’s mouth.

Jaebum had no idea someone could talk for hours about absolute _nonsense_.

So yes, he was more drained than usual. But that wasn’t all; there was something still about the whole thing that bothered Jaebum, a little niggling at the back of his mind that told him he was missing something. Something incredibly important.

It wasn’t until he’d gone to bed, cocooned in his blankets, the fire almost out in a smoldering pile of ash and embers, that the pieces finally fell into place.

Yugyeom was his servant.

Yugyeom served the prince. Their one and only crown prince.

Im Jaebum had just blown off the crown prince of their kingdom, for an entire freaking afternoon.

_God, he was going to get his head chopped off._

~~

Hm. Getting his head chopped off though…wouldn’t that be kinda poetic?

Jaebum couldn’t help but get out of his bed, braving the cold to light a candle and jot down a few gloriously ~~gory~~ inspired lines.

~~

On the other side of the palace, in a brightly lit room cast in gold and silver, another boy was caught up in his thoughts about the events that had taken place in the preceding hours of the day. Unlike the stable boy, however, this one appeared almost agitated, pacing up and down the room with his bottom lip caught between his teeth.

Jinyoung hadn’t gotten so worked up since… ever.

Worked up meaning excited, but also frustrated. He couldn’t remember the last time a person was unable to recognize him as the prince, and being treated as an equal and not as someone placed on a pedestal was so incredibly exciting. While Jinyoung did make the comparison to Yugyeom, there really was no contest. While Yugyeom had the tendency to be snarky and push boundaries because he knew Jinyoung didn’t mind, it was still always under very controlled limits. He never would’ve dared to ignore Jinyoung, much less for an entire afternoon.

And dang, talking was hard work! Jinyoung had been semi-joking at first, when he said he’d take care of all the talking. He’d been convinced that with some prodding, the stable boy would open up eventually, but who knew? He’d stayed as cold as a hunk of ice, completely ignoring Jinyoung’s existence except for a few well-timed eye rolls and exasperated glares given at regular intervals.

Rather than angry, Jinyoung was purely flummoxed. Was he really that unlikeable without his princely status?

But no, that wasn’t the case. Although he was strictly forbidden from leaving palace grounds without his entourage of guards, he had snuck out on his own a few times. He’d taken care to hide his identity, and even then the worst he’d experienced was casual indifference.

No. He wasn’t going to end things like this.

Park Jinyoung was a prince, and princes, especially crown princes, did not back down from challenges.

First task on the list: ask for cold stable boy’s name.

~~

The next day, Jinyoung appeared at the stables the exact same time as the day prior. This time, however, he was greeted with a bow and carefully lowered eyes.

He caught on immediately.

"So you found out..." The disappointment was audible in Jinyoung's voice, and Jaebum felt a sudden surge of annoyance. He held it in check, though.

"I apologize for my behavior yesterday, and even though ignorance is never a valid excuse, I just wish to say I truly did not know. I am sincerely sorry, and hope Your Majesty won't hold that against me."

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow at the apology, huffing slightly in indignation at the way Jaebum avoided direct eye contact.

"Come on, that's the longest sentence you've uttered in my presence, and it's not even sincere? I talked so much yesterday my throat was hoarse!"

Jaebum's initial instinct was to retort _well no one asked you to talk so much_ , but once again successfully exercised restraint.

Instead, he gritted out, "What does Your Majesty want from me, then?"

Jinyoung looked slightly taken aback at Jaebum's bluntness, but immediately looked pleased afterwards. "That's more like it! Just be like how you were yesterday, no need to worry about me taking offense!"

Jaebum almost scoffed aloud. As if. The boy in front of him had the power to dish him a fate worse than death with a single word, he'd be a fool not to worry about his own well-being. Besides, there was no reason for Jinyoung to have hidden his identity except to make a fool of Jaebum. Who knew, he could’ve been baiting him to act out of line just to punish him afterwards.

Even though Jaebum didn’t really believe that was the case, it was still a possibility that peeved him.

Jinyoung could tell Jaebum was suspicious, and he sighed as he eased himself onto the same stack of hay as before.

"Just be natural!" he encouraged.

Jaebum stood there a few moments longer, weighing his options while the prince continued to stare at him with expectant eyes.

_Screw it._

Jaebum shrugged, muttering _you asked for it_ under his breath before turning his back on Jinyoung and grabbing his pitchfork.

For a good few minutes, the only sound was Jaebum spearing the hay with his pitchfork hay and dropping them into neat stacks for later use. He kept his back to Jinyoung the entire time, not sparing him a single glance as he worked.

What? Jinyoung did tell him to be natural, and working was exactly that.

Finally, after Jaebum had finished transferring his third stack of hay, Jinyoung had had enough.

"Hey, when I said be natural I didn't mean for you to ignore me completely!" There was a hint of a whine to the prince’s voice, and Jaebum turned around with a smug expression on his face.

"I am being natural. Is my performance unsatisfactory, Your Majesty?"

"Yes! No! I mean..." Jinyoung suddenly flushed, catching himself before he completely lost his composure. Jaebum, on the other hand, only began to look more and more pleased with himself.

"I don't even know your name yet!" Jinyoung finally managed to splutter out.  "What kind of etiquette is this?”

Jaebum blinked.

“Im Jaebum, at your service,” he answered a beat later.

And now they were stuck in a sort of staring contest, eyes locked in silent communication. Jaebum knew he should avert his eyes, should look down, but somehow he couldn’t.

“Why do you dislike me so much?” Jinyoung finally broke the silence, dropping his question like a bomb. The explosion was silent, but Jaebum was immediately reeling in the aftermath.

“I–” Jaebum had been ready to deny that vehemently, but Jinyoung wasn’t done yet.

“Perhaps it’s both arrogant and ignorant of me to say this, given my status, but I’ve always thought of myself as rather charismatic. Besides a few diplomatic, um, let’s just say _rivals_ ,” Jaebum snorted at the euphemism, but Jinyoung carried on without pausing, “no one else has so blatantly expressed their contempt for me, including a few who, like you, knew nothing of my status.” The words should’ve been accusing but there was only a sort of fascination to Jinyoung’s tone. “And I am genuinely curious.”

Jaebum swallowed, mind scrambling as he tried to formulate an acceptable answer.

The truth was, Jaebum really didn't have anything against Jinyoung. The day before, he’d merely viewed him as an annoying brat with too much time on his hands. Jaebum was rather antisocial to begin with, and therefore had no interest in partaking in conversation with the boy. From an objective point of view, Jaebum had to admit the prince had probably come across as charming in a rather overbearing way, and most likely could’ve wheedled anyone else into decent conversation. Jaebum just had no interest.

As for today, well, Jaebum was just pissed off he’d been tricked. Okay, it was more of an omission than anything, since Jinyoung had never explicitly stated his identity, but Jaebum was still pissed off.

Grasping at straws, Jaebum finally began spitting out an answer.

“I don’t dislike you, Your Majesty, I promise you that,” Jaebum began. “I was just trying to work, and you were…”

“Being annoying?” Jinyoung filled in for him, and when Jaebum nodded stiffly, hoping his admission wouldn’t get him killed. Jinyoung only nodded thoughtfully, not looking the slightest bit offended. “And after you learned I’m the prince?

Jaebum sighed, resigned to the fact that he wouldn’t be left alone until the prince got what he wanted.

“I was annoyed, and perhaps a little worried about yesterday,” Jaebum answered truthfully. “And I really don’t dislike you, I guess I’m just antisocial.”

Jinyoung nodded, brow furrowed and still deep in thought. Finally, he straightened, as if coming to some sort of a conclusion.

“Thank you for your honest answers, Jaebum. You’ve given me a lot to think about. I’ll leave you to your work now.”

And before Jaebum could even bow or ask to escort the prince out, he’d popped up and strolled out of the stables all on his own.  
  
  
  


 


	2. Chapter 2

~~  
Somehow, Jaebum wasn’t even surprised when Jinyoung showed up again the next day.

“Is there something Your Majesty would like?” Jaebum asked tiredly when turned around to hang up a spare bridle, only to be greeted with the sight of the prince perched atop his favorite stack of hay.

“Yes! Tell me a story!”

That was unexpected, and Jaebum frowned.

“I have work to do, Your Majesty. And besides, I’m not a very good storyteller…if you’d like a story perhaps you should go find the Lore Master.”

The prince actually _pouted_ , swinging his legs as he whined out his next few words.

“Oh come on~ I want to learn more about you!”

“There isn’t much to learn,” was Jaebum’s cold response. With this being his third encounter with the prince and no sign of any future repercussions for his actions thus far, Jaebum no longer felt nervous turning his back on the prince to continue with his work.

“Jaebum, don’t ignore me!”

Jaebum took no heed, taking up the task of polishing a saddle instead.

“Jaebum Jaebum Jaebum~” The prince continued to chant Jaebum’s name, showing no signs of letting up. Jaebum wasn’t exactly a patient person, so it wasn’t long until he finally snapped.

“Why are you here, Your Majesty?” he turned around with an oily cloth still in hand, exasperated beyond measure. “Do you not have other things to attend to? Princely duties or whatever it is you royalty are expected to do during the day besides annoy the resident stable boy?”

“But you’re handsome,” Jinyoung said seriously.

Jaebum stared at him blankly.

“No seriously! You are! And really in shape, too,” Jinyoung continued on earnestly. “I mean, I’m sure it’s from all the work you do all day, but still, I’m jealous! I bet alllll the girls chase after you!”

Jinyoung only blinked at him innocently, and Jaebum’s eyes narrowed a fraction.

Silence.

Jinyoung chuckled awkwardly.

“No to flattery then? Okay, sorry, didn’t think it would actually work but thought it was worth a try,” Jinyoung finally broke the silence, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as he smiled.

Jaebum wanted to pull his hair out.

“Seriously speaking though, Your Majesty, what do you wish to accomplish?” There was a defeated tone to Jaebum’s voice. “There must be something Your Majesty wants– if any of the rumors are true you are quite involved in the diplomatic affairs as of late, should you not be more focused on that?”

At that, Jinyoung deflated as well, the cheeriness from his demeanor turning into something more bitter.

“Yes, yes I am. I spend the entire rest of my day in those meetings, you know.” There was a genuine seriousness in the prince’s voice that Jaebum had yet to hear so far, and for the first time, his interest was piqued. “The negotiating, the diplomacy, I can handle that, but meetings, ugh.” Jinyoung groaned aloud, making a face. “And my father cancelled my lessons too, which, even though I complain about the homework, was a good source of entertainment. But now even that’s gone, and it’s winter so there’s absolutely nothing to do.”

“So you decide to find your entertainment here.” Jaebum deadpanned.

At this, Jinyoung grinned, a bit of that mischief returning to his eyes.

“I’ve found myself a fun new challenge, yes.”

“Annoy me to death?” Jaebum had the audacity to say.

“No, to get you to like me,” Jinyoung said cheerily. “Like I said, you’re the first to dislike me so much, and I’m definitely going to win you over. That’s enough for today I think, see you tomorrow Jaebummie!”

“What?!” Jaebum spluttered at the ridiculousness of situation, but by then Jinyoung had already left, a cold rush of air blowing through the barn signaling the prince’s departure.

~~

“Jaebummie, tell me a story.”

“Could you please not call me ‘Jaebummie’? Jaebum is fine. Jaebum would be preferred, actually,” Jaebum grumbled but knew it was futile.

Jinyoung, too, didn’t seem too deterred by Jaebum’s complete disregard for his question.

“Fine, then I’ll tell you one.”

Flattery had gotten him nowhere the day before, but after thinking things over Jinyoung realized perhaps he’d gotten his whole approach wrong. He hadn’t missed the way Jaebum had seemed genuinely curious when he brought up his royal duties. Although the whole reason why Jinyoung visited the stables these days was to temporarily escape from his responsibilities, talking about them a little, especially if it warmed Jaebum up to him, couldn’t hurt.

“My greatest accomplishment, was actually when I was fifteen. I was only brought along to observe, to learn, but I don’t think anyone anticipated that I’d use what I’d learned in practice and out-perform some of our most experienced negotiators.”

As usual, when Jinyoung talked, Jaebum appeared to ignore him, merely continuing on with his work. This time, though, he found himself actually listening and not just hearing, his movements just the slightest bit slower as he multi-tasked.

Jaebum knew this story. Heck, the entire kingdom probably knew this story detailing the heroic efforts of their young prince. But it was different hearing it from Jinyoung himself, and Jaebum couldn’t help getting sucked into the narrative.

By the time Jinyoung finished Jaebum hadn’t even realized that he’d set down the broom, and was now leaning against a pillar, arms crossed and completely enraptured by the story.

Jinyoung looked at Jaebum expectantly, clearing demanding some sort of reaction.

“That’s not the version I heard…” Jaebum finally said slowly. “I heard Duke Junho’s son had been injured in a scuffle that had broken out, and you–”

“Pshhhh, embellishments,” Jinyoung waved it off. “People like to exaggerate. It’s true, before we got there a few small battles had already occurred and there were a few losses on both sides, but no one important was involved. Another common exaggeration was that Taecyeon threatened the King, my father, and I stood up to him and shut him down or some nonsense like that, and then a fight almost broke out, which I stopped by, well, there are a couple different versions of how that supposedly happened, too.” Jinyoung shook his head helplessly. “People really like to make things more exciting than they really are. It really was just a misunderstanding and a problem of semantics on their previously signed treaties.”

“So, why did you succeed where your negotiators failed?”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes.

“Because the negotiators got too caught up in their job of ‘negotiating.’ They placed all their efforts into placating both sides and finding ‘common ground,’ and completely failed to re-examine the facts and figure out the source of conflict. There was clearly some sort of discrepancy in communication. It’s impossible to bridge a gap if you’re building a bridge from two starting points that don’t line up.”

“And you figured that out.” Jaebum tried to keep the hint of disbelief out of his voice, but he wasn’t sure he was able to.

Jinyoung let out an embarrassed laugh.

“I guess I did.”

~~

That day, when Jinyoung left the stables, his steps were lighter than usual. Jaebum had talked back! Of his own free will!

He was definitely making progress.

His good mood must have been rather over-the-top, because even Yugyeom commented on it when he returned to his chambers that night.

“You seem very pleased, Your Majesty, I’m glad work has been going better,” Yugyeom had said offhandedly before he left the room. Jinyoung had just hummed in agreement, not really paying attention at the time as he’d been reading.

It was only a few minutes later that Yugyeom’s words sunk in.

To be honest, the meetings hadn’t been going any better, and they definitely were not the source of his pleasant mood.

It was only now that Jinyoung began to question himself; why in the world was he so fascinated by the stable boy? Sure, he was handsome, mysterious, and had piqued Jinyoung’s curiosity, but wasn’t he expending a rather ridiculous amount of energy on him?

Or was Jinyoung really just that much of people pleaser that he couldn’t stand knowing there was someone who disliked him, and thus felt the overwhelming need to win Jaebum over?

He agonized over his own motives for a few minutes longer before finally giving it up as a lost cause.

Honestly, what did it matter? It was a way to pass the time, and if it successfully distracted him from wallowing in misery over his administrative responsibilities, what would a little indulgence hurt?

~~

Ironically, Jaebum was also reflecting, though in his case it was more of a grudging reassessment of his own judgements so far. For the fourth night in a row, the open page in his notebook remained empty, his harmonica untouched, his mind too preoccupied with the mystery that was their prince.

Jinyoung had a rather overwhelming reputation of being ideal in every sense of the word, from intelligence, to kindness, to judgement. Needless to say, Jaebum never really believed those things, most likely due to his own prejudice and preconceived notions of all royalty. And his first impression of the prince obviously didn’t help, and the subsequent encounters had only solidified Jaebum’s judgement of the prince as a rather useless, arrogant noble that thought quite a bit about his own self-importance but possessed no true abilities of value.

Morever, the way he behaved alone had made Jaebum disinclined to trust him. Jinyoung always had that regal aura about him, what with the way he dressed and held himself, but then he always proceeded to give Jaebum whiplash with his uncomfortably informal conversation and very undignified way of snickering. And Jaebum was supposed to believe this was that so-very-capable and beloved prince?

Either Jinyoung was two-faced or everything else about him was false.

But today…without even realizing it, Jaebum had found that his entire demeanor was slowly beginning to soften around the prince. He had begun to pick up on the nuances of the prince’s behavior, and now couldn’t help but see him under a different light.

For example, Jaebum realized the way he chattered and laughed so freely resembled an innocent child much more than a scheming nobleman set on getting Jaebum in trouble. And as doubtful as Jaebum had been about the prince’s abilities (he did, after all, spend hours talking to a mere stable boy, how responsible could he be, right?) Jaebum had also come to realize the intelligence and quick wit behind the idle chatter wasn’t an illusion, but always present and waiting for an opportune moment to strike.

Despite all the misconceptions Jaebum had been attempting to cling to, Jinyoung was slowly proving him wrong.

And for whatever reason, that made Jaebum very uneasy.

~~

“Jaebum Jaebum Jaebum, tell me a story,” Jinyoung greeted as he walked into the stables. It had been a whole week since this weird arrangement began, and still every day Jinyoung started off with an attempt to get Jaebum to lead conversation.

“You’re later than usual today,” Jaebum noted instead as Jinyoung flopped down in his usual spot, letting out a groan as he stretched his back.

“Meeting went long. The old geezer had the floor again today, so of course things take at least twice as long.” There was a fatigue to Jinyoung’s voice that Jaebum was unused to, and he frowned involuntarily.

“How are things going?” Jaebum found himself asking and Jinyoung sat up, surprised at Jaebum’s rare display of initiative.

“Okay, I guess. It could be worse, but we’re kinda stalled out right now.” Jinyoung sighed, one hand coming up to rub at his eyes. “I’m just frustrated because the answer is so clear, but no there is so much administrative crap to deal with first, and of course the formalities of meeting with all parties involved…”

Jaebum nodded, fingers deftly removing the coarse horse hairs from the brush he was currently cleaning. He’d gotten a lot better at multi-tasking these days.

“It’s just, so stupid!” Jinyoung continued, and Jaebum raised an eyebrow at the amount of force behind Jinyoung’s words. “People are already dying, and the longer we stall the more people that will die! Like yes, alright, I understand there’s a _process_ , there are people we need to keep happy and a procedure to follow, but really? People are _starving_! Doesn’t it make sense that some excessive formalities should be dropped to be addressed at a later date, rather than having to pound them out now? Like really?!”

Jinyoung’s voice had built to a full on rant, and Jaebum found himself slightly stunned by the fire in Jinyoung’s eyes. This was the first time he saw the prince get so passionate about something, and he couldn’t help but feel a grudging respect emerging.

However, by the way Jinyoung suddenly stiffened, it was clear he hadn’t meant to go off like that.

He’d let too much information slip.

“So, it’s about the famine in the countryside, isn’t it?” Jaebum asked carefully, trying to keep his voice nonchalant as he continued to work on the brush.

There was a silence as Jinyoung agonized over an answer.

“Yeah,” he finally confirmed.

Jaebum didn’t say anything else, keeping his eyes focused on the task in front of him. He wouldn’t push Jinyoung for any more details, but if he wanted to share it would be up to him.

“Food stores in South have been completely depleted, since a lot of their crops were destroyed by that early freeze,” Jinyoung began slowly. “Central, North, and East are all doing okay. West has the greatest surplus right now, and we’re trying to transfer some down to South.

“But of course, whoever’s stupid idea it was, control over food stores is decentralized. Each district has their own local food store, which is then under the control of the State. Technically, we have no jurisdiction over the distribution of this food, it has to be something negotiated out by the two States involved.”

Jinyoung sighed.

“Actually, I take it back. It’s not stupid. It does make sense for food stores to be decentralized. It’s more efficient, especially given the sheer number of districts in question. But right now, West is being incredibly difficult. It’s been a hard winter, and even though they have a surplus, if things continue to play out the way it is now there’s a chance they might need it. Of course, these chances are quite slim, but it’s nice having that extra cushion. So of course, they’re demanding an absolute ridiculous price to sell. Not only is it too much for South to afford, it’s also too much for us to subsidize.”

Again, there was a silence as Jinyoung finished explaining the situation. He really shouldn’t have told Jaebum, but it wasn’t exactly “top secret” information, either. And he really, really needed to get it off his chest.

Gathering his thoughts, he continued.

“My first solution was to draw of a more general agreement of sorts, that payment will be decided afterwards. Every single day we spend deliberating price is another day more people are dying. But of course, this idea was shot down even before being brought up in a formal setting because it ‘could cause too many problems afterwards if no agreement can be reached’. Even if people are dying now, they’re unwilling to compromise!”

Jinyoung rubbed at his temples.

“I hate resorting to violence, but I don’t see any other way than to deploy the army and forcing West to comply.”

Jaebum’s movements stopped.

“No other solution?”

“Yeah,” Jinyoung sounded defeated. “I’m planning on bringing it up tomorrow. We’ve been going in circles for days, and it’s obvious a price negotiation isn’t going to work. West is simply refusing to aid South.”

“So you’re resorting to violence.”

There was a startling coldness to Jaebum’s voice that made Jinyoung look up in surprise.

“Well, there are no other options,” Jinyoung said, but he sounded a bit more uncertain. Jaebum had always been somewhat cold, detached, but the look in his eyes now was bordering on dangerous.

“So you’re killing people to save people.”

Jinyoung flinched; there was no mistaking Jaebum’s tone now, and Jinyoung jumped to defend himself.

“It wouldn’t escalate into a full on war– West would never risk being thrown from the Union. But if we don’t establish our authority, at this rate people will only continue to starve to death!”

“If it’s known that West won’t risk being kicked out, why must violence be used? And not escalating into a full on war, but that suggests there will still be a few battles, correct?” Jaebum pressed.

“Well, yes,” Jinyoung admitted. “It’s a pride thing for West.”

Jinyoung almost jumped when Jaebum let out a short laugh. It was mirthless, however, and mocking.

“A pride thing. Of course. What are a couple lives, next to pride?” he scoffed.

Jinyoung couldn’t understand why Jaebum was acting this way, but his own frustration quickly turned this confusion into anger.

“Well what am I supposed to do?! Yes, fine, a few soldiers will die, do you think I’m happy about that? But more people will starve if we don’t do this? And what other choice do we have? Besides, everyone knows our soldiers are all volunteers– they know they’re to risk their lives for their country at any given moment!”

Jaebum looked positively murderous by the end of Jinyoung’s tirade.

“They’re volunteers so their lives are worth less? Worth the price for pride, is that what you’re saying?” Jaebum’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was dripping with poisonous scorn. “And really, the only option. Violence is _never_ the only option. And don’t be ridiculous; the soldiers may be volunteers, but what about everyone else?”

“What everyone else?!” Jinyoung exploded. He couldn’t understand what Jaebum was so upset about, and why suddenly it all seemed to be his fault. How had a rant about his day suddenly turned into such a heated argument?

Jaebum looked stunned for a moment, as if he couldn’t believe Jinyoung would ask him such a thing. Then his face twisted, eyes narrowing as he threw down the brush he was holding.

“And you have to ask me who ‘everyone else’ is.” Jaebum was growling, voice guttural and filled with a rage so fierce it shook. “You nobles just sit up in your castle, holding the power to change peoples’ lives in your palms and pretending you know best, that you’re superior. That you’re doing what you deem to be best for everyone else. When really, that’s the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard because _you know nothing_!”

The last few words were bellowed and the sound echoed off the walls of the stables. Jaebum froze, reality finally catching up to him as he realized what he just said, that he’d been essentially _screaming_ at the crown prince.

Jinyoung, too, was frozen, the last of Jaebum’s words ringing in his ears.

Jaebum swallowed, opening his mouth to say something, anything, but the words get choked in his throat when Jinyoung’s face suddenly collapsed, hurt and confusion rolling off of him in waves.

He sent one last baleful look at Jaebum over his shoulder before he was running off, and the gust of cold wind that followed chilled Jaebum to the bone.

~~

That night Jaebum was fully prepared to be dragged out of his bed and beaten, jailed, or even beheaded for his injury to the prince, but when he awoke in the morning, all was as usual.

But no, not quite all was as usual. For the first time a week, Jinyoung didn’t visit the stables. And although Jaebum had expected it, having his prediction come true for once offered no comfort.

~~

It wasn’t until Jinyoung stopped going to the stables that he realized how much he’d come to depend on that time with Jaebum.

Even though in the beginning, all he did was blab about random nonsense, he now realized how therapeutic it had been. He complained constantly that he did all the talking, but it had been a way for him to get things off his chest, to get his mind off of official affairs. It had been an effective outlet for his stress, and now with things intensifying, he’d lost his only source of comfort.

Jinyoung couldn’t sleep at night, tossing and turning with Jaebum’s words running through his mind.

He just didn’t understand. What had he done wrong? How was he wrong? He wanted the best for his people, couldn’t Jaebum see that? He was usually so cold and indifferent, what had Jinyoung said to set him off? Didn’t he know that sometimes, sacrifices had to be made?

And yet, Jinyoung held back from bringing up the subject of deploying their army. He knew it was only a matter of time, time they didn’t have, but he still couldn’t bring himself to do it.  
  
  
  


 


	3. Chapter 3

~~

Jinyoung wasn’t the only one having trouble sleeping.

Im Jaebum didn’t miss him. No, of course not. Nor did he feel guilty. He was glad to finally have the prince out of his hair, to be able to work in peace and quiet.

But when he caught himself zoning out for the fourth time in one day, he had to admit to himself, perhaps it was a bit too quiet.

Jinyoung hadn’t come for five days now, and Jaebum knew that with each passing day, the likelihood of him returning was growing slimmer and slimmer. Jaebum knew that rationally, this was a good thing. He should never had gotten mixed up with the prince to begin with, because getting mixed up with royalty always brought unnecessary danger. He knew he should be relieved, but somehow, he couldn’t let it go.

Because somewhere along the way he’d gotten used to Jinyoung’s nonstop chatter, his eye smile, the way he kicked his feet when he whined. Of all things, he’d grown fond of him.

Jaebum let out a bitter laugh. So Jinyoung had succeeded, after all, but what did it matter now?

~~

It was on the seventh day, exactly a week since the last day Jaebum saw Jinyoung, that he returned.

“Get me a horse. Saddled and ready to ride. Now.” Jinyoung commanded the moment he stepped through the doors and Jaebum nearly dropped the shovel he was holding out of shock. He stood, frozen, while Jinyoung shook the snow out of his hair.

“I gave you an order. Now hurry up.” Jinyoung’s voice was firm, but he betrayed his emotions by avoiding Jaebum’s gaze, eyes flitting around nervously instead.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Jaebum finally said after a pause. Out of his peripheral vision he saw Jinyoung sag with relief, as if he’d been expecting Jaebum to refuse. That set off a bunch of warning bells, and Jaebum’s brow knitted in confusion as he readied Jinyoung’s horse.

Now that he thought about it, something was clearly not right. The two months he’d been here, he was fairly certain Jinyoung had never been out riding. And when he first started his position here, Jaebum definitely recalled that only the Horse Master would be readying horses for the royal family.

Not to mention, if Jinyoung was going out riding, he definitely should have guards with him…

As Jaebum tightened the girth on Jinyoung’s horse, he noticed the prince was pacing, gnawing on his bottom lip and clearly looking agitated. There were dark circles under his eyes that Jaebum knew matched his own, but there was also a gauntness about him that made Jaebum’s heart clench.

How had the prince changed so much in merely a week?

Finally ready, Jaebum led the brown stallion towards Jinyoung. As he approached, though, it quickly became clear that his concerns were more than valid. Jinyoung also had an almost frantic look to his eyes, one Jaebum recognized as a desperate need to escape.

“Is he ready?” Jinyoung questioned, and when Jaebum nodded mutely he immediately grabbed the reigns.

“Are you going out for a ride?” Jaebum forced himself to ask.

“What does it look like?” Jinyoung snapped. Jaebum winced inwardly; the tone was so unlike the usually cheerful, laid-back prince he was used to, it almost hurt.

He followed Jinyoung outside, and it was only now that he realized that it was snowing, and how much colder it was than that morning.

When Jinyoung mounted the horse and almost fell off, Jaebum was suddenly filled with an inexplicable urgency to stop him.

“Wait, Your Majesty! It’s too cold to be dressed like that! Do you not have a coat?”

Jinyoung, paused, hesitating, and Jaebum quickly added on.

“Also, it’s snowing pretty heavily, it’s dangerous to ride alone now. Where are your guards?”

The moment the question left Jaebum’s mouth he knew he’d made a mistake, and Jinyoung’s eyes darkened.

“I don’t need my guards,” he spat, and immediately proceeded to dig his heels into the flanks of his horse.

“Wait!” Jaebum yelled but it was already too late. The horse took off at a gallop, leaving Jaebum behind to stare at Jinyoung helplessly, his stomach sinking.

~~

When Jinyoung hadn’t returned half an hour later, Jaebum couldn’t sit still any longer.

Typically, a half hour ride was nothing. It was normal to be gone for hours on a joy ride. But this wasn’t normal circumstances. If anything, the snow had gotten heavier, and it was getting to the point where it’d be difficult for even a seasoned rider to gallop full out. With the prince’s infrequency of riding, Jaebum was fairly sure he was no pro.

Not to mention, Jinyoung had been shivering from the moment he stepped outside. It was even colder while riding, and Jaebum couldn’t imagine the prince being able to stand the frigid wind for much longer.

All sorts of scenarios began to run through his mind. What if he got lost? If he fell off the horse? If he got sick, or injured? If an enemy found him wandering alone?!

Besides, if he waited much longer Jinyoung’s tracks would disappear…

With that thought Jaebum had a second horse saddled up within minutes, immediately galloping off to follow Jinyoung’s tracks.

_Please, please please be safe._

~~

The snow was heavy, the flakes falling in clumps from the sky and Jaebum cursed, squinting through the haze of white. It was not yet sunset, but it would be soon, and with the clouds overhead it was already starting to get dim.

Jaebum knew he was catching up; the prints in the snow were becoming fresher and fresher, assuaging his fears. But at the same time, the anticipation began to twist his insides.

Due to the poor visibility, Jaebum didn’t recognize the familiar brown stallion until he was almost upon it, and when he reigned in his own horse he felt his heart stutter and stop.

The horse was riderless.

Jaebum immediately dismounted, and in his hurry nearly tripped over his own feet. He stumbled forward, frantically looking for human tracks, for any sign of where Jinyoung could’ve gone–

Oh.

Jaebum exhaled in relief as he took in the form in front of him, legs almost giving out, but as he looked closer a different kind of panic soon set in.

Jinyoung, for all purposes, didn’t appear to be injured, but sat halfway in a snowbank, shivering, teeth chattering, and covered in snow. He didn’t seem to be in any pain, though perhaps in shock, his expression frozen and eyes wide.

That was alarming enough, but even more so were the two shiny tear tracks down his cheeks, already frozen into a glossy sheen.

“Your Majesty?” Jaebum edged closer slowly, voice gentle and cautious, the same way one would approach an injured animal.

Jinyoung jerked, as if seeing him for the first time. Immediately he let out a choked laugh, hands coming up to wipe roughly at his cheeks but it was futile, the salty residue stuck to his face, courtesy of the freezing wind.

“It’s cold, and it’ll be dark soon. Let’s head back,” Jaebum finally uttered after a few moments of silence, making a deliberate effort to not comment on Jinyoung’s currently pitiful state. He stepped closer, intending to extend a hand to help Jinyoung stand, only to have it slapped away.

“You don’t have to put on a front,” Jinyoung laughed again but it resembled more of croak than anything else. His lips twisted upwards, but it was in a snarl of disgust. “Just look at me. You’re right. What in the world do I know?”

Before, all of Jaebum’s efforts had been focused into finding Jinyoung, leaving no time for any other emotions. But now, the guilt finally struck, sinking into his gut like a knife.

“Your Majesty, I didn’t–”

“Oh please, you meant everything you said, don’t insult me now by trying to take it back,” Jinyoung spat scornfully, but his voice caught on the end of his words, taking away most of the bite. “You’re right. You’re exactly right. What the hell do I know? People are dying and all we do is sit around a table, squabbling like children. We hold lives in our palms, but we can do nothing to save them, only condemn more to join them.” Jinyoung laughed bitterly, his voice brittle. Jaebum looked like he’d just been punched in the gut, hearing his own harsh words being twisted into even worse self-loathing, but Jinyoung wasn’t done yet.

“And just look at me now. Sitting here in the snow like a fool, an idiot who didn’t even know to grab a coat even though there’s practically a blizzard going on outside. God, I’m so stupid. What justification did I have to be upset when you asked where my guards were? Clearly I can’t do anything properly without them, instead I got tossed from my own horse like–”

Jinyoung broke off with a hiccup, his voice cracking and eyes reddening with more tears. But at this realization he immediately grit his teeth, forcibly swallowing back any further signs of weakness.

“God. And now I’m crying like a big baby. Delightful. Like I couldn’t get any more pathetic.”

Jaebum could only stand there, feeling helpless in every sense of the word as he watched his prince struggle to regain control over his emotions. He felt like he should say something, anything, but his mind was uselessly blank.

It was only when Jinyoung’s entire form shuddered with a violent shiver that Jaebum finally snapped out of it, springing back into action with a new urgency. He didn’t ask for permission this time, nor say anything to comfort. Jaebum had never been good at things like that, and from past experience it seemed he only ever managed to worsen the situation.

Instead, he just deftly stripped off his coat, advancing forward to wrap it around Jinyoung’s shoulders.

“What–”

Jinyoung broke off in a yelp as Jaebum proceeded to pick him up, lifting him easily with an arm beneath his knees and another wrapping behind to support his back. He walked briskly back to his horse, ignoring the splutters of protest coming from his arms.

Jaebum knew he was overstepping his boundaries, no, deliberately _demolishing_ the barrier he should have never been allowed to cross. He was very well aware that he was breaking every single rule in existence, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t find it in himself to care.

With the state Jinyoung was in and Jaebum’s known lack of persuasive speaking skills, who knew who long it’d be before they’d manage to start on their way back?

Jaebum had always been impatient.

“Let me–”

Jinyoung broke off again but this time it was with a swift exhale, his breath leaving him in a whoosh as Jaebum deposited him back down on his horse. He mounted swiftly right afterwards, settling down in front of Jinyoung to grasp the reigns.

“Jinyoung, hold on.”

Jinyoung’s eyes widened, his arms coming up to circle around Jaebum’s waist without protest, because his mind was too stunned by the first part of what Jaebum had said.

He had called him Jinyoung. Not Your Majesty, and not any other title.

Just Jinyoung.

Besides his parents, Jinyoung couldn’t remember the last time someone else had called him by name only, or if anyone, for that matter, had ever dared to take that step without permission.

Slowly, his arms tightened around the body in front of him, his own chest leaning forward to rest against a strong back.

His eyes fluttered shut, exhaustion from the cold finally taking control of his limbs. So he relinquished himself to the darkness, comforted by the warmth in front of him.

~~

When Jinyoung awoke, he was in his own bed, carefully tucked under his warm covers. The previous events rushed back almost immediately and Jinyoung briefly entertained the notion of pretending it was all just a dream, but he’d never been one to avoid reality for long.

As he assessed himself, he found that by some miracle, he wasn’t sick, though he still felt incredibly fatigued. With the curtains drawn he couldn’t tell if it was day, or night, and with each passing second he found himself caring less and less. He didn’t even know how long he’d been asleep, nor how he got to his own bed, but sluggishly told himself he’d figure it out later as he allowed his eyes to slip back shut, slowing drifting back to the land of dreams.

Dreams of a comforting darkness, with the phantom sensation of strong arms cradling him in a protective hold, warmth seeping into every part of his body.

~~

Jinyoung didn’t come the next day, though Jaebum knew that either way, he was probably still recovering from his “excursion” the day before. After arriving back at the stables Jaebum had been greeted by a nearly frantic Yugyeom looking for his master, and he’d nearly had a heart attack when he saw the state of his prince. While they were debating what to do, Jinyoung had begun to stir, waking up just long enough to demand to be taken to his room.

Well, to be more accurate it had been a rather slurred version of “I want my bed” and Jaebum was sure it had been more dream talk than a conscious order. Either way, Yugyeom and Jaebum took it as a good enough excuse to sneak the prince in through the servant doors, narrowly escaping the attention of the guards and eventually making it to the prince’s quarters.

Yugyeom and Bambam took over from there, quickly shooing Jaebum out of their way.

When Jaebum had returned to his own place, the sun had long since set. As usual he lit his fire, settling down in front of it with a blanket, his notebook, a pen, and his harmonica. He had no expectations of composing anything new; it seemed his inspiration had long since fled these past few weeks, his mind much too preoccupied by a mess of conflicting ideas and emotions.

Preoccupied by a single person.

But tonight, he felt strangely calm. He’d tired himself out with all the overthinking and agonizing over his potential death. All that was left, was a resigned peace.

Slowly, he picked up his pen.

The words flowed as easily as the ink from his pen.

~~

_There once was a little boy who lived in East with his family, which consisted of his mother, his father, and his younger brother, the most lovable little boy you could ever meet named Youngjae._

_When this boy was seven years old, his father was conscripted to go off to war. At that time, they were being invaded. Their country was strong, and they were holding off well enough, but volunteers were no longer enough to sustain the army._

_His father was happy to go. He was a proud man and he loved his country, but the only thing he that made him hesitant to leave, was his family._

_But he went regardless. It wasn’t only a matter of pride, but of duty, and this little boy’s father was never one to shirk his duty. He had worries, especially since little Youngjae was only just born, but he went._

_His mother was also a very strong woman. She loved her husband very, very much, and worried about him every night. But she was the best mother in existence, raising her two sons on her own to be the best men they could be one day._

_Time flew. And six years later, finally, finally their father was coming home._

_The war hadn’t ended, not quite yet, but they were getting close. The reason their father was returning early, however, was because he’d been injured. It had been severe and he’d never walk the same again, but he was alive._

_That was all that mattered._

_The day his father returned home, was the happiest day of their lives. The little boy was no longer so little, but thirteen, and already taking on the responsibilities as the man of the household. Youngjae was now six and possessed a heart of gold, composed of curiosity and innocence and love._

_Their mother, however, had also changed. She was older, more worn. She no longer was quite so beautiful, quite so youthful._

_But as their father swept all of them up in his arms, he’d whispered in her ear, loud enough for the little boy to hear:_

_She was stunning, forever the brightest star in his sky._

_Life had fallen back into its normal pattern soon after, except now all the pieces were present and the picture whole. It was hard, sometimes, when his father woke the whole house with his screams from nightmares about the war. It was absolutely devastating when his father found out he could no longer work in the fields like he used to._

_But they were together, and they worked through it._

_Those were the happiest five years of his life._

_When they came, there was no warning. There were no alarms, no bells, no screams of warning until it was much too late._

_They came by night and burned the entire village down. It was a raid. It was meant to provoke, a petty act of vengeance to soothe wounded prides._

_People say the smoke turned red from the blood of men, women, and innocent children alike. That the screams the tore the air already resembled ghosts rather than humans._

_The boy only heard these things afterwards, long long afterwards. His father and he had been out traveling, visiting a neighboring village to trade some of their vegetables._

_His father had bought a beautiful blue scarf for his mother, and the boy had bought a small wooden horse, an intricately carved figurine, for Youngjae._

_But there was no one to give them to when they returned, only ash, ash, and more ash._

_Nothing left, not even a keepsake to bury instead of a body._

_His father lost it. The destruction and havoc that had been wreaked on their village brought back too many memories, memories he’d kept so firmly locked up in a corner of his mind but grief and anguish now unlocked. The boy did his best to take care of him, to comfort him, but how much comfort could he provide when he too felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest?_

_He would never see his mother’s beautiful smile, hear her gentle voice, stare into her loving eyes._

_Youngjae had her eyes._

_One morning, the boy woke up and his father was gone. He searched for him, for months, but even from the beginning he knew he would never be found again._

_The boy was now no longer a boy, but a man, but he was no better than a boy._

_He was lost, and alone._

_So utterly alone._

_For a year he was consumed by his grief, and that year he didn’t recall much of. He’d stayed at the village, helping to rebuild with the few survivors left. He had nowhere else to go, after all._

_But the memories came to be too much. One by one the survivors slowly began to leave, realizing that sometimes, leaving behind the past completely was the only way to move forward._

_He didn’t know exactly what it was that finally snapped him out of his daze, but whatever it was, that period of his life was over. He believed it would always be there, a wound that would never heal completely, but time would tell._

_He remembered a friend his father had often mentioned, a fellow soldier who lived in Central. It took quite a bit of effort, but he found him. Hearing what had happened, the man was kind enough to give him a job in his smithery, where he stayed for another year._

_It wasn’t really his thing, but he had no other purpose. He lived day to day, with no goals, no pleasure, no sense of accomplishment._

_He had felt no desire for anything, no wants, until he saw the posting for a new stable boy._

_He suddenly remembered what it was like, to work with horses. They originally owned two, a stubborn old mare and a laidback stallion._

_For the first time in too long, he wanted something._

_For the first time in too long, he was content._

_So when his routine had been shattered, he’d been annoyed. He already carried with him too many burdens, too many preconceived notions. Like his father, he was prideful, but unlike his father, he was not yet mature. He let his emotions rule his actions._

_And yet somehow, this other boy, this prince that was supposed to be pampered beyond belief and haughty and cold, was slowly breaking down his barriers. And it infuriated him, because it suggested he was wrong, that he was weak._

_But more than anything he was scared. Scared of becoming attached to something he shouldn’t, something that would never belong to him and could be taken away with a single notice._

_So he let his inner demons spew poison from his mouth, and let the festering from his old wounds spread to another. His insecurities, his anger, his guilt and misplaced blame._

_His regret._

_But the thing about this story, was that it did not yet have an ending._

_He was a man now, but he still felt like a boy, lost and searching for guidance._

_What was the correct resolution?_

_He remembered his father’s boisterous laugh, his mother’s eyes, his brother’s heart of gold._

_He wanted to make another person smile._

~~

This time, Jaebum wasn’t caught off his guard. He didn’t even need to look up to recognize the light footsteps approaching him from behind, the familiar crunch of hay as a weight sank down onto it.

He heard the familiar draw of breath, ready to ask that one familiar question.

But Jaebum beat him to it.

“Let me tell you a story.”

 


End file.
